Fernando Henrique Cardoso facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fernando Henrique Cardoso
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Official portrait, 1999
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| 34th President of Brazil | |
| In office 1 January 1995 – 1 January 2003 |
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| Vice President | Marco Maciel |
| Preceded by | Itamar Franco |
| Succeeded by | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva |
| Senator for São Paulo | |
| In office 4 April 1994 – 15 December 1994 |
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| Preceded by | Eva Blay |
| Succeeded by | Eva Blay |
| In office 15 March 1983 – 5 October 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Franco Montoro |
| Succeeded by | Eva Blay |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 19 May 1993 – 30 March 1994 |
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| President | Itamar Franco |
| Preceded by | Eliseu Resende |
| Succeeded by | Rubens Ricupero |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 2 October 1992 – 20 May 1993 |
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| President | Itamar Franco |
| Preceded by | Celso Lafer |
| Succeeded by | Celso Amorim |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 June 1931 Rio de Janeiro, Federal District, Brazil |
| Political party | PSDB (1988–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
MDB (1974–1980) PMDB (1980–1988) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Pedro Cardoso (cousin) |
| Residences | São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil |
| Alma mater | University of São Paulo (PhD) |
| Profession | Sociologist |
| Signature |  |
| Website | http://www.ifhc.org.br/ |
Fernando Henrique Cardoso, often called FHC, is a Brazilian sociologist, professor, and politician. He was the 34th president of Brazil from January 1, 1995, to January 1, 2003. He was the first Brazilian president to be reelected for a second term.
Cardoso is known for his studies on how countries develop. He has received many awards for his work. After his presidency, he started the Fernando Henrique Cardoso Foundation in 2004. He also advises different groups around the world. He is a member of The Elders, a group of global leaders working for peace and human rights.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Fernando Henrique Cardoso was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 18, 1931. He spent most of his life in São Paulo. His family came from Portugal and some of them were politicians. He also has African ancestors.
Cardoso studied to become a Sociologist. He was a professor of political science and sociology at the Universidade de São Paulo. He also taught at famous universities in Paris, France, and later in the UK and USA. He can speak Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish fluently. He can also understand Italian and German.
He was married to Ruth Vilaça Correia Leite Cardoso, an anthropologist, from 1953 until she passed away in 2008. They had three children together.
Academic Achievements
Cardoso earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees in Sociology from the Universidade de São Paulo. His doctoral study looked at slavery in Brazil. This work became very important in understanding the topic.
He also wrote many books and papers about government and how societies develop. His ideas on "dependency theory" became very famous, especially in the United States. This theory explains how some countries depend on others, which can affect their development.
Political Journey
After returning to Brazil, Fernando Henrique Cardoso became active in politics. He joined the movement that wanted to bring democracy back to Brazil after a period of military rule.
He became a Senator for São Paulo in 1982. In 1985, he ran for mayor of São Paulo but did not win.
In 1986, he was elected to the Senate again. He helped create the current Brazilian Constitution, which was very important for Brazil's return to democracy. He also served as the leader of his party, the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), in the Senate.
Before becoming president, Cardoso served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1992 to 1993. Then, he became the Minister of Finance from 1993 to 1994.
Road to the Presidency
In 1994, Fernando Henrique Cardoso decided to run for president. He won the election in the first round with 54% of the votes. This was a huge victory and the largest margin ever in a free election in Brazil at that time.
Later, the constitution was changed to allow a president to be reelected. In 1998, he won a second term, again in the first round, with 53% of the votes. He is the only president to win an election in a single round since 1989.
Presidency (1995–2003)
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Fernando Henrique Cardoso became president on January 1, 1995. He focused on making the economy stronger. He continued to lower inflation (when prices go up too much). His government also sold several state-owned companies to private businesses. This was done to make the economy more open to the world.
During his time as president, many new laws were passed to improve the economy and government. One important law allowed presidents to be reelected.
Social Programs and Challenges
Cardoso's government also worked on human rights. They created new programs to deal with social issues in Brazil. He was the first Brazilian president to really focus on the big gap between rich and poor people.
He started programs like Bolsa Escola, which helped families keep their children in school. Other programs like Auxílio Gás and Bolsa Alimentação helped families with food and gas. His wife, Ruth Cardoso, helped combine these programs to better support people in need.
During his second term, Brazil faced some economic challenges. The value of the Brazilian currency, the Real, dropped a lot. There was also an energy crisis because of a drought, which affected Brazil's hydroelectric power. These events made his popularity go down.
Cardoso was well-respected by leaders around the world. He built good relationships with presidents like Bill Clinton and Ernesto Zedillo. However, he sometimes found it hard to get full support for his plans in Brazil's Congress.
He admitted that he could have done more for public safety and creating new jobs. But he defended his work in health and education.
After the Presidency
After leaving office in 2003, Fernando Henrique Cardoso remained an important voice in Brazilian politics. He often writes articles for newspapers and gives talks. He has also written two books about his time as president.
He founded a personal institute in São Paulo, like those created by former US presidents. He also lectures at Brown University and Sciences Po in Paris.
Cardoso is involved in many international groups. He was the president of the Club of Madrid, a group of former democratic presidents and prime ministers. He is also a founding member of The Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank focused on the Americas.
In 2009, he traveled to Israel and the West Bank as part of The Elders group, working for peace and human rights. In 2013, he became a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, which is a very respected group of writers and academics in Brazil.
Selected Books
- Cardoso, Fernando Henrique (2006) The Accidental President of Brazil, PublicAffairs, ISBN: 1-58648-324-2
- Cardoso, Fernando Henrique (2001) Charting a New Course: The Politics of Globalization and Social Transformation, Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN: 0-7425-0893-5
- Cardoso, Fernando Henrique and Faletto, Enzo (1979) "Dependency and Development in Latin America", University of California Press, ISBN: 0-520-03193-8
Images for kids
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Foreign trips of Cardoso during his presidency
